Preterm birth may result from overlapping causes including maternal age, health, previous obstetric history and a variety of social factors. We aimed to identify factors contributing to preterm birth in respect to new social and environmental changes in the reproductive patterns. Our cross-sectional study included 495 mother–infant pairs and was based on maternal self-reporting in an originally developed questionnaire. Neonates were divided into two groups: 72 premature babies (study group) and 423 full-term babies (control group). We analyzed maternal, sociodemographic and economic characteristics, habits, chronic diseases, previous obstetric history and pregnancy complications. For statistical analysis, Pearson’s Chi-squared independence test was used with a statistical significance level of 0.05. Preterm births were more common among mothers living in villages (p < 0.001) and with lower education level (p = 0.01). Premature births were also positively associated with mothers who were running their own businesses (p = 0.031). Mothers with a history of previous miscarriages gave birth at a significantly older age (p < 0.001). The most frequent pregnancy complications were hypothyroidism (41.4%), pregestational and gestational diabetes mellitus (DM; 17.8%) and hypertension (8.1%). Pregestational DM significantly influenced the occurrence of prematurity (p < 0.05). Pregestational DM, being professionally active, a lower education level and living outside cities are important risk factors of prematurity.

Determining the concentration of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), ethyl sulfate (EtS), and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is crucial for establishing the true scale of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and enabling early diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This study primarily aimed to compare two detection methods: retrospective maternal alcohol consumption surveys and chromatographic analysis of newborn meconium. Among 478 mothers, parallel survey data and meconium samples were collected. Nine FAEEs were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and EtG and EtS by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The study also aimed to establish marker cut-offs and evaluate their clinical utility. While only 4% (approximately) of mothers reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy, the biomarker analysis suggested a significant underestimation of the actual PAE scale, highlighting the limitations of self-reported data. Analysis using the cumulative biomarker index for two biomarkers with a threshold of ≥5 indicated that alcohol consumption affected approximately 3% of the studied population, further demonstrating the low reliability of maternal self-reports. Ultimately, this study confirms that the combined EtG and EtS measurements provide the most reliable diagnostic information for PAE and underscores the necessity of objective meconium screening in clinical practice.

Background: Sarcoidosis is a heterogeneous, multisystem inflammatory disease with an unpredictable clinical course and limited prognostic markers. Increasing attention has focused on nutritional and metabolic factors—particularly obesity, body composition, and calcium–vitamin D metabolism—as potentially modifiable elements associated with disease development and clinical phenotype. However, the available literature remains fragmented and methodologically heterogeneous. Objective: To systematically map current evidence on the relationship between nutritional status and the development, clinical course, and prognosis of sarcoidosis, and to identify key gaps requiring further research. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and Google Scholar were searched for studies published between 2015 and 2025. Eligible studies included adult patients with sarcoidosis and addressed nutritional status broadly defined, encompassing anthropometric measures, body composition, immunonutritional indices, nutrition-related biomarkers, dietary factors, and supplementation practices. Due to substantial heterogeneity in exposure definitions and outcome measures, no quantitative synthesis or formal methodological quality appraisal was performed. Results: Eighteen studies, predominantly observational, were included. The most consistent findings concerned anthropometric parameters, with overweight and obesity showing the strongest association with an increased risk of sarcoidosis and, in selected studies, with reduced exercise capacity and greater disease burden. Evidence linking nutritional status to prognosis was indirect, while direct data on sarcoidosis-specific survival were lacking. Disturbances in calcium–vitamin D metabolism were frequent and clinically relevant, particularly in the context of supplementation-related hypercalcemia. Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that nutritional status—particularly excess body weight—and selected metabolic and immunonutritional factors are associated with sarcoidosis. However, given the largely observational nature of the available data and the lack of formal assessment of methodological quality, these results should be interpreted as association mapping and hypothesis generation rather than as evidence of causality. Well-designed prospective and interventional studies using standardized nutritional assessment tools and clinically relevant endpoints are needed to clarify the role of nutritional factors in sarcoidosis.

Determining the concentration of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), ethyl sulfate (EtS), and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is crucial for establishing the actual scale of prenatal alcohol ex-posure (PAE) and the early diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The study’s main objective was to compare two methods of detecting PAE: retrospective sur-veys of maternal alcohol consumption and chromatographic analysis of newborn meco-nium for these alcohol biomarkers. The study involved 478 mothers from the Pomeranian Province, with parallel samples of newborn meconium collected for analysis. Biomarker analysis involved determining the concentration of 9 FAEEs by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and EtG and EtS by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The study also aimed to determine the cut-off concentrations and usefulness of these PAE markers. Only approximately 4% of mothers reported drink-ing alcohol during pregnancy, suggesting a significant underestimation of the actual PAE scale compared to objective biomarker analysis. The use of the cumulative biomarker in-dex (CBI2) ≥ 5 suggests that alcohol consumption during pregnancy affected approximate-ly 3% of the studied population, highlighting the low reliability of maternal self-declarations. The most reliable information about PAE was provided by a combination of EtG and EtS biomarkers. The study confirms the difficulty in obtaining a reliable history of alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The FASD continuum encompasses facial dysmorphism, growth failure, and central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities/dysfunctions. Because some of these features may not be apparent in newborns, detecting PAE in the neonatal period is challenging, while early diagnosis may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes. Maternal self-reported alcohol consumption is limited by recall bias and denial, leading to misdiagnosis. Currently, there is a lack of universally implemented and standardized tools for identifying PAE/FASD in children across clinical settings. We aimed to review the existing literature on PAE assessment methods. Analysis of alcohol metabolites in neonatal meconium is the most widely studied and appears to be feasible for routine use, but it has some limitations. Recent advances in understanding the effects of alcohol on neurotransmitters, growth factors, and gene activity have contributed to the development of novel diagnostic strategies and have brought us closer to effective PAE detection. Some laboratory assays appear to be feasible for implementation in routine clinical practice, i.e., testing for pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukins (IL): IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1(IGF1). These molecular approaches hold promise but require replication and validation before becoming the standard in clinical practice. Further research on biomarkers and other screening tools should continue to determine their feasibility and availability.